Turkish Press Review, 08-12-18

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

18.12.2008

CONTENTS

[01] APOLOGY CAMPAIGN DRAWS REACTION, CRITICISMS

[02] AKP MAYORS IN THREE MAJOR CITIES TO SEEK NEW TERMS, ERDOGAN ANNOUNCES

[03] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PARVANOV MEETS WITH GUL, ERDOGAN

[04] IN KONYA, ANNIVERSARY OF RUMI'S DEATH OBSERVED

[05] GOVT TO PROVIDE MORE LOANS TO SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES NEXT YEAR

[06] SCHROEDER: "WE NEED MORE ENERGY PROJECTS BESIDES NABUCCO"

[07] TRT TO BROADCAST IN KURDISH

[08] INTELLECTUALS: WITNESSES OF THEIR OWN ERA

[01] APOLOGY CAMPAIGN DRAWS REACTION, CRITICISMS

[02] AKP MAYORS IN THREE MAJOR CITIES TO SEEK NEW TERMS, ERDOGAN ANNOUNCES

[03] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PARVANOV MEETS WITH GUL, ERDOGAN

[04] IN KONYA, ANNIVERSARY OF RUMI'S DEATH OBSERVED

[05] GOVT TO PROVIDE MORE LOANS TO SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES NEXT YEAR

[06] SCHROEDER: "WE NEED MORE ENERGY PROJECTS BESIDES NABUCCO"

FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS… FROM THE COLUMNS…

[07] TRT TO BROADCAST IN KURDISH

Columnist Nasuhi Gungor comments on the TRT's initiative to broadcast in Kurdish. A summary of his column is as follows:

"In the midst of discussion of next year's local elections and the 2009 budget, there's another development that shouldn't be ignored. We've started an important countdown. On January 1, state broadcaster TRT will start a new channel in Kurdish. This 24-hour channel comes at the end of long, hard work and much debate.

Let's say a few words about TRT General Director Ibrahim Sahin. When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan nominated him for the post, many people questioned the decision. Views of him have been varied. Some said he lacked media experience and wondered if he was a 'typical bureaucrat.' But Sahin defied expectations. When I had the chance to talk with him a few times, I was very surprised to see his calm and determination, as on the issue of broadcasting in Kurdish.

Let's look at the TRT's move. Some people see broadcasting in Kurdish on a state TV channel as separatism and contrary to Turkey's indivisibility. Others say that new channel will only make thing worse. Some see it as a worthy project that can never succeed, because it has no staff and certain forces won't let it.

It's hard to explain anything to those who fall in the first category. Obviously, they have played a role in the process of bringing the issue to its current state. But we must recognize that they have a certain amount of power both in the state and public. That's why they should be told insistently and carefully what the project really means. Here, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has a lot to do. But equally important are the people who claim the Kurdish issue as their own and exploit it to enrich themselves. We all know that for 25 years now, those who consider themselves the political and cultural owners, leaders and friends of Kurds have helped make our country a bloody place. Now they're uncomfortable about this channel, as it will deprive them of a trump card they have used to deceive their 'own' people. Those who say the TRT is trying to corrupt our culture have only destroyed the values that the Kurds have owned for many years on this land.

Now let's write about those who consider this project positive. Yes, the project faces many hurdles. It's hard to find staff, and in making programming decisions many sensitive balances have to be considered. But there are some advantages that can solve these problems. Besides Sahin, the channel also has coordinator Sinan Ilhan, and Kamil Kayali and Sadik Yalsızucanlar, who helped him at every stage. I believe they will overcome these hurdles. Moreover, the channel wasn't just the decision of a single person. This important step, taken under the leadership of the government and Erdogan, also convinced the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and other security institutions. Just as with the Iraq issue, the 'state mindset' is working here. Actually, as I will write about some other day, we can't consider this issue apart from the Iraq issue."

[08] INTELLECTUALS: WITNESSES OF THEIR OWN ERA

Columnist Mustafa Balbay comments on a recent initiative by a group of intellectuals to apologize for the killings of Armenians during the World War I era. A summary of his column is as follows:

"Out of the many definitions of 'intellectual,' here is one of my favorites: Intellectuals are the witnesses of the era they live in.

Witnessing an era is not as easy as some might think. A real intellectual draws strength from reality. Intellectuals are people who can tell and write about the reality around them…

There are many difficulties for intellectuals in countries such as Turkey, at the crossroad of global developments.

On the other hand, there are some people who think that being an intellectual means being a part of global politics, instead of dealing with the realities of their time!

They started a petition with the following text: 'My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and â€" on my own behalf â€" I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers â€" and I apologize to them.'

The petition drive is planned to last for about a year, which gives the impression that it's a part of a longer-term plan, not a short-term one.

Reading the petition, someone who is ignorant of history would get the impression that:

1. In 1915, only the Armenians suffered. This great injustice must be redressed.

2. Since an apology is needed, the Armenians, who were completely innocent, experienced a great tragedy.

3. The Ottoman Empire was the state holding all the power and controlling all events in its territory, and went into action against only the Armenians.

4. In that era and afterwards, no other state was strong enough to act against the Ottomans. The Ottomans saw themselves as the sole power.

5. The Republic of Turkey, the successor to the Ottoman state, has rejected all allegations, offered no information or documents about the events, has not opened its archives, and has indifferently closed its ears.

But, in fact, none of these impressions is true:

1. 1915 saw the bloodiest battles of World War I.

2. The Battle of the Dardanelles that year was the Ottomans' struggle for survival, in which they only tried to defend themselves.

3. Facing this situation, the Ottoman Empire took a series of measures against developments in Anatolia aimed against it, just as it defended itself in the Dardanelles.

4. When the British invaded Istanbul, they searched every nook and cranny in vain to find information or documents concerning a bloodbath against the Armenians. The British, American and Russian archives of that era are similarly silent.

5. In the succeeding years, Turkey proposed turning the matter over to historians, and has announced at every turn that the archives are open to researchers.

Today, certain people who care nothing about healing ties between Ankara and Yerevan are working to act against Turkey in league with Armenians:

Recognition, compensation, land…

First the alleged genocide will be recognized… Then compensation will be demanded, and finally land…

It is intellectuals' duty to reveal these facts…

If someone needs to apologize for the events of 1915, then it's the imperialist states of that time, and the modern-day implementers of these policies!"

Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article